1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a haptic computer output device and more specifically to human/computer interface equipment which, when mounted on or adjacent a part of the human body, will apply tactile stimuli to the body under the control of the computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent years have seen the development of "virtual reality". The user of the system is presented with computer-generated images which change in response to changes in the notional relative positions of the viewer and the virtual object so that the viewer has the sense of occupying a fully three-dimensional, artificial world. Virtual reality is described in United Kingdom Patent Specification Serial No. 2 201 069A and reference is made thereto for a fuller understanding of the present invention.
It is desirable that the viewer of virtual objects should be able to "interact" with them, such as by "picking them up" and "moving them about". For this it is desirable that one of the objects viewed is a cursor representing e.g. the hand of the viewer. By moving his real hand he causes corresponding movements of the cursor, and when this occupies the same apparent space as another virtual object the computer must react appropriately. If the object "contacted" is notionally movable the computer must show it moving; if notionally immovable the movement of the cursor must be arrested, all to preserve the simulation of reality.
A deficiency in the realism currently experienced when interacting in this way with virtual objects is that the viewer experiences no tactile sensations when the cursor representing his hand "touches" an object. This lack of one of the normal sensory experiences detracts from the illusion. If the experience of virtual reality is solely visual, or visual and auditory, the lack of the corresponding sensation of touch will remind the viewer that he is inhabiting an artificial world, enabling him to preserve sane of the detachment of a film or television audience and the experience will be less than the completely absorbing one which virtual reality has the potential to provide.
A principal object of the present invention is to redress this deficiency of previous virtual reality proposals.